


The End

by JohnxHelen



Category: The Man in the High Castle (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Major character death - Freeform, TW: Nazis, and gassing, just so everyone is aware, lots of sadness, tw: Mentions of the Holocaust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 16:36:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16768867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnxHelen/pseuds/JohnxHelen
Summary: Set in a alternate universe where John is arrested by Reinhard for his alleged role in a conspiracy. But Heydrich is kind, and grants him a visit from his wife, or so it seems.





	The End

John Smith lay on his back in a prison cell. He had tried to shoot Heydrich but failed. At least his wife would be here in a few hours. Heydrich could be merciful, especially if the person was one of his favorites.His head throbbed where they beat him, his arms and legs were sore, and he suspected his left wrist was broken. 

He heard a door open and heels clicking on the floor in front of his cell. John shot up. He didn’t want another beating. He screamed and almost peed himself. He was going to be shot here and never get to see her. They were lying. All of them were liars, he realized.  
“Shh.” a voice cooed. “It’s your wife.” A kiss. He couldn’t believe it. He must have been hallucinating, he thought, but a manicured hand denied the thought.   
He was laid on the bed and his clothes were shucked off. His wife took off hers, and moved her fingertips down his body. 

No words needed to be said: she could see the suffering in his eyes. She moved on top of him, careful to avoid bruises inflicted by his captors. Her hand moved to his face and gave him a long kiss. He smiled for the first time in what seemed like years. His wife was here and she still loved him in spite of the elimination of their children. In spite of the blood dripping off their hands. John drifted into a blissful state. He smiled. And cried, wishing he was not here, but at their house. 

His arm reached up to his wife and played with her hair. She smirked. “Remember the time we first met?” she asked. “Yeah.” he smiled. “It was at the dance hall in Albany. I were there looking for a job and I wanted a break from reality. We snuck in, avoiding police, and swayed the night away.” 

“Mm.” he grunted. “You were so beautiful in your blue dress.” He tried not to think of what had occurred after: her parents shot in front of him, he unable to grieve. They were some of the best people he had ever met, giving him advice on life that he still took to heart. But they had said Hitler was a dog, among other things, and someone heard them, and implicated John, and he was forced to watch them die. Their faces still lingered in his mind, like hunted animals being put out of their misery. And like those creatures, her parents knew the hunter. 

John decided that if they were to go, he would do it on his own terms. Not in a gas chamber and not like her parents. Except Heydrich had been known to gas people before, and he knew it was imminent.

He could hear a dull thunk behind the wall and a hiss as gas rapidly filled the room. She screamed and ran to the door, but it was locked. Helen, his darling beloved, started to choke. He sensed that. Long ago, he had operated the gas chambers for Heydrich; it was only fitting that this death would be reserved for him. John inhaled, it was natural to do so. It would also deprive Heydrich of the pleasure of viewing a slow death. His boss had always loved viewing the chambers, especially if they were women and children; the reason was for their deaths. 

He hurried over to her, head spinning. “Helen.” he wheezed. He wanted his last words to her to be romantic. “I...love..you.” She looked up at him, face turning blue. “Come..(cough) here.” Even in her near death state, Helen had enough strength to crawl into her beloveds arms as she spasmed into the black. 

Darkness spun around John. His first thought was to fight it off, but he felt a cold weight in his hands. Helen would need him was his last tangible thought.


End file.
